


My Lonely World Over Here

by StarlightAfterAStorm



Series: The Adventures of Porkchop and Caramel [3]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 22:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13017048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightAfterAStorm/pseuds/StarlightAfterAStorm
Summary: With Betty being gone on a work trip during the holiday season, Jughead is being a total grinch and angsting all over the place.He gets a pleasant surprise.





	My Lonely World Over Here

**Author's Note:**

> So who else is completely ignoring Season 2 in order to write fluffy fic?

 

[Tumblr post with pictureset posted here](http://starlightafterastorm.tumblr.com/post/168551783709/my-lonely-world-over-here-spring-will-be-a-little)

 

* * *

 

 

 **“ _Spring will be a little late this year_  
** A little late arriving, in my lonely world over here  
For you have left me and where is our April love old  
Yes you have left me and winter continues cold”

**\- sung by Deanna Durbin, written by Frank Loesser**

 

* * *

 

 

Jughead leans his whole weight against the elevator wall and sighs deeply. A small crisis with the pets had turned into a rushed morning had turned into being late to meet his publisher had turned into a meeting that lasted hours longer than necessary. Jughead closes his eyes and presses his forehead into the cool metal of the elevator. At the very least, the day was almost over. Two more floors and down a hallway and he could relax in the comfort of his own home with his dumb dog and his dumb cat and… no Betty.

Jughead groans and thumps his head once at the reminder that Betty’s job had taken her away for over a week now. The ache of missing her is compounded by all of the festive holiday cheer being forced down his throat at every angle. Twinkling lights everywhere, gently falling snow, cheery music being played from every speaker. Everything Betty loves best about the holiday. She was expected back long before Christmas Eve but this week away from her had been particularly painful.

Because of her job, Betty had had to leave as soon as Thanksgiving had finished. Years spent loving Betty meant that Jughead had gotten used to the domestic trappings of Christmas starting as soon as that last Thanksgiving leftover was wrapped. Betty’s absence brings back stark memories of when he thought a future with her was an unattainable dream. Sometimes, on days like this, he’s not sure that he’s not still dreaming.

The memory of curling up with Betty, Caramel, and Porkchop with mugs of hot cocoa, watching cheesy Christmas movies in the glow of their fully decorated tree causes Jughead to clench his jaw in longing. He has almost enough to relive that memory. Tonight, he has the dog, the cat, a movie, some take out menus and, maybe if he’s lucky, a Facetime call with his wife later on that night.

It’ll have to do for now.

The elevator doors open to his floor and Jughead lets out another deep sigh before trudging down the hallway. He allows himself to brood as he makes his way to his own door. Every door is strung up with tinsel and garlands and the smell of something amazing wafts through the hallway. Something cheesy and garlicky and it makes his mouth water. His neighbors must be getting ready for dinner. Jughead’s stomach grumbles and as he reaches his door he wearily searches through his bag for his keys while lamenting his own dinner choices and trying to decide what movie to watch. Something cynical and dark to match his mood. A noir film with an unhappy ending.

Jughead is fully aware he’s being a bit of a grinch, but he feels he’s entitled to it. He’s saving all his positivity for when ( _if_ ) he gets to talk to Betty later.

Swinging the door open, Jughead’s senses are bombarded with different stimuli. The wonderful cheesy, garlicky, smell is coming from _his_ kitchen. There are boxes of decorations open and strewn about the couch. Betty is sitting with Porkchop on her lap and teasing Caramel with a ribbon. She’s wearing a red flannel she steals more often than he wears over a pair of leggings decorated with reindeer and Christmas cookies. Small little yips and mews mix with the lilting laughter of the woman he loves.

“Juggie! You’re finally home!”

Betty springs up from her place on the floor and all but leaps into his arms. Jughead has just enough presence of mind to close the door behind him and holds his arms open so that he’s ready to catch her. Jughead is effectively pinned to the door with by Betty’s warm weight and all of his grouchiness fades away. He squeezes her tighter against him and leans down just at the moment she tilts her head up for a kiss.

The heat of her mouth chases away the last of his chill and her hands send little shivers down his spine when she runs them through his hair. Betty deepens the kiss, pressing herself ever closer and Jughead is comforted by the fact she missed him just as much as he missed her. Jughead slides his hands underneath the worn flannel she’s wearing, gliding it over her head completely without undoing any buttons. Jughead takes a moment to admire her warm skin and her soft eyes glowing up at him before she reaches up to kiss him again. He turns them so that Betty’s back is to the door and picks her up by the tuck of her waist. Well familiar with this by now, Betty wraps her legs around him and they spend a ridiculous amount of time making out against the door before Betty pushes him back to the only space free on the couch and straddles him.

Later, Jughead pulls a nearby blanket around them as they watch Porkchop and Caramel drowsily paw at various ribbons and little Santa hats. He’s mildly surprised they only knocked over one box in their reunion and thankfully it’s only more garlands and tinsel rather than the glass ornaments. Betty giggles into his chest and presses one last, lingering kiss to the edge of his jaw.

“Welcome home, Juggie.”

Jughead raises an eyebrow at that.

“Isn’t that my line? You’re the one who’s been away for a while. I thought you weren’t going to be back for a few more days?”

Betty shrugs delicately, the blanket slipping off of her shoulder and Jughead can’t resist the temptation of kissing the bare skin.

“We wrapped up early and I wanted to surprise you. Besides. It doesn’t matter if we both say it. We’re both home.”

The smile comes easily to his face when she says that. _Home_. He’s just about to pull her back in for another kiss when his stomach grumbles. Betty laughs again and moves away to grab her discarded clothes.

“I was wondering when your stomach was going to chime in. Go grab some food. Mac and cheese on the stove. Garlic bread in the oven.”

Betty shimmies the flannel back over her head but doesn’t bother with the leggings as Jughead pulls his boxers back on.

“We should clean up that tinsel first. Knowing our pets, they’ll end up trying to eat it and we’ll be spending another night at the vets’ office.”

Betty waves Jughead over to the kitchen as she leans down to gently move Porkchop away from the garlands. He yawns widely before going to sit underneath the tree next to a dozing Caramel. Jughead scoops mac and cheese into a bowl as he watches Betty place the little Santa hats on their heads before shoving the fallen decorations back into the box. Jughead can hear her shuffling some more of the boxes around as he roots in the fridge for their water filter and fills the largest glass they have.

“I would hope our pets have better sense than that, Jug.” she calls out to him.

“Porkchop eats your socks and the rubber ducky in the bathtub Betts. I don’t think he has that discerning of a palate.” Jughead stuffs a piece of garlic bread into his mouth before walking back over to the couch. He hands the glass of water to a grateful Betty who drinks deeply.

“He thinks the ducky is a toy! Which it is.”

“And he might also think the tinsel is a toy. He does get distracted by shiny things. Like when he tried to eat your earrings.”

Betty scrunches her nose at him and he laughs through a spoonful of cheesy pasta.

“Ok fine. You’ve made your point. Porkchop will eat literally anything and we should keep him away from tinsel. Oh.” Betty bounces a little on the cushion. “Speaking of. We should start decorating tonight, yeah? That’s why I got all the boxes out in the first place but _someone_ distracted me.”

“I’m sorry. Who was it that tackled me down and had her wicked way with me half an hour ago? Not gonna lie, not how I was expecting tonight to go.”

Betty raises a brow at him.

“And how _were_ you expecting tonight to go?”

“I had a hot date planned.” Betty’s brow raises even higher and Jughead has to hide a smile. “A date with Deanna Durbin at a little bar in New Orleans.”

That prompts a startled laugh from Betty even as she rolls her eyes. She tips her head forward to place a smacking kiss on his shoulder.

“ _Jughead_ .” The exasperation is nearly buried underneath the laughter. “That is _not_ a proper holiday movie.”

“Betty.” he says, nearly matching her tone. “The title is literally ‘ _Christmas Holiday_ ’. How is it not a proper holiday movie?”

“It’s a noir film, Jug. Noirs are based on darkness and cynicism.”

“But that’s what makes it so fascinating as a holiday movie.”

Betty elbows him a little and he elbows back, jostling his bowl. He sets it down on the coffee table and winds an arm around her waist, yanking her bodily back into his lap where they maneuver themselves back into optimum cuddling positions. Betty sighs contentedly, resting against him.

“Proposal–” Betty gets out before Jughead interrupts her.

“I thought I already did that years ago.”

Betty nearly starts a tickle fight when she elbows him again and has to take a moment to catch her breath. 

“Ok. Proposal: We watch ‘ _Christmas Holiday_ ’. You get your date with Deanna Durbin and I get to enjoy Gene Kelly’s _and_ Dean Haren’s handsome faces. _But_ . Then we watch ‘ _Holiday Inn_ ’ and you don’t make snarky comments when I sing along.”

He always teases her gently, but one of Jughead’s favorite things about Betty is her singing. She’s not like Josie or Veronica, always ready and willing to jump on stage. Betty sings softly, often under her breath, sometimes only humming out melodies in her head. But she can’t help herself when a movie plays a song she’s familiar with.

Jughead agrees easily to her terms and the opening credits soon roll. Betty tugs over the forgotten blanket and steals a bite of his mac and cheese. Jughead watches as Charlie Mason sits down at the bar to hear Abigail Manette sing for the very first time. True to form, when Abigail Manette steps onto the stage Betty’s voice weaves in with hers.

“ _Spring will be, a little late this year…_ ”

Underneath the tree, Porkchop snuffles slightly in his sleep and Caramel’s purr rumbles underneath the music. Jughead presses a kiss to the Betty’s temple and is rewarded with a blinding smile as she continues to follow the melody.

“ _Yes time heals all things, so I needn’t cling to this fear._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Less Porkchop and Caramel in here than the others but it fits in that universe. There's another short holiday fic with Porkchop and Caramel in the works. Technically that one was supposed to be this one but Jughead took over with all his angst and then his love for his wife.


End file.
